Article 20

"In the mundane, we seek hope; through justice, we guard this world!"

2024 2h 21m ZH

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 59

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Tells the story of prosecutor Han Ming who is involved in a difficult case where the intentional injury of people is turned into a legitimate defense.

“In the mundane, we seek hope; through justice, we guard this world!”

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Cast

Lei Jiayin
Han Ming
Ma Li
Li Maojuan
Zhao Liying
Hao Xiuping
Gao Ye
Lu Lingling
Liu Yaowen
Han Yuchen
Wang Xiao
Deputy Inspector Tian
Chen Minghao
Li Maoquan
Pan Binlong
Wang Yongqiang

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Zhang Yimou
Writers: Li Meng, Zhang Yimou
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: China

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Zhang Yimou, shot by Zhao Xiaoding. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Li Yongyi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Lei Jiayin and Ma Li and Zhao Liying carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In the mundane, we seek hope; through justice, we guard this world!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt28258332 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Zhang Yimou directs. Zhao Xiaoding behind the camera. Li Yongyi cuts. Produced in China. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 2 years ago.
2Directed by Zhang Yimou, shot by Zhao Xiaoding. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Li Yongyi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Lei Jiayin and Ma Li and Zhao Liying carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "In the mundane, we seek hope; through justice, we guard this world!".
6IMDB entry: tt28258332 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Zhao Xiaoding
Editing: Li Yongyi
Runtime: 141 min · 2h 21m
Status: Released
Box office: $337,554,287
Original language: ZH
IMDB: Article 20 (2024)

Also by

Zhang Yimou

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-03-04
★ 6/10
The topic here is quite an interesting one. A CCTV camera captures a man being attacked and stabbed multiple times. The police apprehend the perpetrator, but as the hastily partnered prosecutors - "Han Ming" (Jiayin Lei) and "Liu Lingling" (Ye Gao) start to investigate, they discover that the victim was actually quite an odious creature who probably deserved his fate - despite the vocal protestations of his family. Meantime, the former is also having some family drama after is son "Yuchen" (Liu Yaowen) intervenes in a school bullying incident and finds himself faced with making an humiliating apology or a court-ordered detention. Poor old "Han" is now under mounting pressure from his bosses, his partner and from his rather strong-willed wife "Li Maojuan" (Li Ma). Juggling plates isn't really his forte, and for most of the drama we vacillate between the increasingly hysterical and bickering marital relationship that starts off quite funny but ends up quite grating, and a police investigation that ultimately has a political point to make about the voracity of Chinese justice to the audience. It does have it's moments, and at times I did feel a bit sorry for "Han" as his problems accumulate with no obvious solution for a man who just wants to get to his retirement in one piece. Otherwise, though, it's all a bit messy. The narrative doesn't really flow and it becomes just a but too much of a soap for me as it begins to run out of steam. It is watchable, and at times does raise a smile - but the stories are all just a bit too thin.

Production companies